PAX4 has the potential to function as a tumor suppressor in human melanoma.
We hypothesize that dysregulated expression levels of the developmental regulatory genes in the adult body result in tumor development and malignant progression. PAX genes discovered as human orthologous genes of Drosophila 'paired' encode transcription factors, which control the expression of target genes to go on along the program of development. In this study, we first quantified expression of 9 PAX genes in human nevus pigmentosus tissues, melanoma tissues and melanoma cell lines by the real-time reverse transcription-PCR method. As a result, we found that the expression levels of PAX4 and PAX9 were extremely low in melanoma tissues and cell lines compared to nevus pigmentosus tissues. We then established melanoma cells overexpressing PAX4 and examined roles of PAX4 in cell growth. PAX4-overexpression reduced in vitro cell growth of human melanoma C8161 and MeWo cells. BrdU-uptake assay and cell cycle analysis by flow cytometry indicated that the retardation of cell proliferation by PAX4-overexpression was due to decreased DNA synthesis and cell cycle arrest at the G0/G1 phase. Furthermore, treatment of C8161 and MeWo cells with 5-azacytidine, a DNA demethylating agent, induced the expression of PAX4, suggesting that DNA methylation repressed the PAX4 gene expression in human melanoma. These results suggest that PAX4 functions as a potent tumor suppressor.
Hata
Shinya
S
Division of Cancer-Related Genes, Institute for Genetic Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0815, Japan.
Hamada
Jun-Ichi
J
Maeda
Kazuhiko
K
Murai
Taichi
T
Tada
Mitsuhiro
M
Furukawa
Hiroshi
H
Tsutsumida
Arata
A
Saito
Akira
A
Yamamoto
Yuhei
Y
Moriuchi
Tetsuya
T
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001374:Azacitidine / Q000494:pharmacology; D002453:Cell Cycle; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D019175:DNA Methylation / Q000187:drug effects; D004261:DNA Replication; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009508:Nevus, Pigmented / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D051761:Paired Box Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D013997:Time Factors; D014162:Transfection; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; C491709:PAX4 protein, human; D051761:Paired Box Transcription Factors; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; D001374:Azacitidine